Dance for Life
by Kasifya
Summary: Legolas and Gimli have finally arrived in Valinor, but instead of peace, they are thrown into the middle of... well they aren't quite sure what.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tolkien's characters... la la la, but the other world is all mine! (minus some names...)  
  
A/N: This starts out pretty slow... but it should get more interesting after I can get the groundwork laid down for the story. Please bare with it... Also, I have taken some liberties with the events at the end of the Lord of the Rings, nothing big, but there are things in my story that I have (as yet) found no record of in Tolkien's writings, so I did not think anyone would mind too much that I allowed a few thinks to happen (ie Gimli in Valinor). Lastly, I'm no Tolkien wizard, and I am sure that there will be problems with my spelling, etc. Helpful advice is welcome.  
  
  
Dance for Friendship, Dance for Life.  
  
  
The Elves danced. Laughter mingled with the sounds of song and merrymaking. Vanyar, Noldor, Teleri, at this high feast there was no division in their ranks. Wine flowed freely, as did talk. Noldor spoke of the crafting of beautiful gems, Teleri, the pleasure and wonder of the open sea, and the Vanyar, who's love was the Realm of the Valar, where most eloquent on the subject of its joys and peace.  
  
Upon the Dais, among the Eldar Princes could be seen Elrond, the Half-Elven, and Celeborn, with his Lady Galadriel. With them also, could be seen Mithrandir, the Istari. To one side could be seen Frodo Baggins, the Nine-fingered, who was content this night to simply sip his wine and listen to the songs and tales. Samwise Gamgee sat at his side, his close proximity with the Elves for the time he had spent in Valinor, had not dimmed the wonder with which he watched them, nor had it caused him to weary of hearing their tales.  
  
This night, however, Mithrandir, Frodo, and Sam had a greater reason to celebrate, for not seven days before two more of their old Fellowship had joined them in that Blessed Realm. For this night Gimli the son of Gloin sat with a number of the Noldor, who had found him to be very wise in the ways of the forge. And among the Elves danced Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. That same Thranduil, who was King of Mirkwood.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Legolas walked carefully, so as not to jar his rather tipsy companions. They were Haldir of Lothlorien, and the Elf Lord, Glorfindel, late of Imladris. The two of them laughed and sang as the Elf of Mirkwood tried to guide them down Valinor's avenues toward their homes. Gimli followed behind, he also supported two rather drunken friends, but instead of Elves, the Hobbits, Frodo and Samwise leaned upon his shoulders (or against his sides, considering their size). Mithrandir, since he wanted to be sure his Companions did not lose their way, walked just behind the Dwarf, and he laughed long and heartily at the attempts of the not-so-steady Legolas to walk in a straight line, and to keep the other two from losing their balance. Gimli too found this amusing, for Dwarves are not effected by wine as easily as Elves are.  
  
"Well, Gimli," Mithrandir asked, still chuckling, "are you glad to, at last, have arrived on the shores of the Blessed Realm?"  
  
"I am indeed." Gimli looked back and up into the face of the wizard, "I have looked again upon the Lady of the Golden Wood, and she is as fair as ever I remember her to be." His eyes grew distant for a moment, then focused on the staggering trio before them. Legolas had obviously given up trying to guide Glorfindel and Haldir anywhere, and had now joined in their singing. "Look at him, Gandalf, I have not seen him so at ease in the whole time I have known him. This Land is good for him."  
  
"And good for you, too, friend Dwarf." The Wizard bent to lift Sam from his position against Gimli's shoulder, for he had begun to snore even as he walked. "I have never heard a Dwarf, even the son of Gloin, speak so kindly on the subject of an Elf, even an Elf who is his close friend."  
  
"The wine must have affected my brain more than I had thought." The Dwarf mumbled.  
  
Frodo, not having drunk as much wine as Sam or Legolas, was content to just stroll, with Gimli's aid, listening to the conversation and watching the night pass. "Moreover," Mithrandir continued, "You do not carry your ax with you. I must say it is the first time I have seen a Dwarf go about, in any land, without his weapon."  
  
Gimli merely laughed, for the Wizard spoke truly, but his laughter was cut short when, mid-word, the three Elves ended their merry song. "What is the matter?" he called.  
  
Glorfindel looked about in slow bewilderment, as if trying to recall something unpleasant from the deep recesses of his memory . Haldir, and Legolas also looked uneasy, but they seemed to be at a complete loss as to know what might be causing the feeling. Haldir, moving quickly, or as quickly as he could, crossed the avenue to where the Wizard stood, perhaps hoping to be able to view the growing disturbance from a different perspective.  
  
The Dwarf quickly moved forward, closing the distance between himself and the other two Elves. Gandalf still carried the sleeping Sam but Frodo was now worried into soberness, and needed no aid in standing upright. The growing unease had by now shocked all three Elves into becoming completely alert.  
  
Not a instant too soon did the son of Gloin reach Legolas' side, for at that moment, a mist swirled up, and darkness surrounded them.  
  
Mithrandir could only watch in horror as his friends, and companions vanished with the mist. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Legolas (huge sigh) does not belong to me, neither does Gimli nor Glorfindel (bigger sigh). Nothing of Tolkien's belongs to me (accept the movie, my Dad bought it for me!!!), but the other world belongs to me utterly and completely.  
  
Thank you Gloin der Zwerg. I had thought of the fact that Gimli would be old, but that is one of the things I decided to take liberties with, because I like Gimli and wanted him in my story...  
  
Dance for Life. Chapter 2.  
  
  
Something long and scratchy was rubbing against his face, and just under his nose. Only half awake he turned his head to one side in an attempt to rid himself of the irritation, it only got worse. Legolas twitched his nose to one side violently, and then sneezed with equal force. Blinking his eyes open, he wondered vaguely if this was how Men felt when they became ill, his head was muzzy, and when he attempted to sit up, the whole world spun like a top, and he landed flat on his back again. Turning his head slightly to one side he saw that it was Gimli who lay on the hard earth beside him. The Dwarf's beard and hair was in wild disarray and the Elf concluded the scratchy irritation must have been the son of Gloin's hair. Limp and lying across Legolas' feet was the Elf-Lord Glorfindel, and he didn't look to be in any better health that the prince of Mirkwood felt.  
  
Soon, to Legolas' relief Gimli awakened and seemed to be in excellent form, although he had no better idea of where they were or what had happened than Legolas did. It took much longer to rouse the Elf-Lord, and when he did waken he was violently ill, so that it was several hours before the three companions could discuss what had occurred.  
  
"I could be wrong, for it is only a distant memory, but the last time I recall feeling such a..." Glorfindel seemed uncertain what to call the phenomenon, "such a occurrence is when I battled the Balrog in the flight from the Hidden City. An ancient evil is what it seemed to me."  
  
"Well, Master Elf, that is far more knowledge than either Legolas or I have, for I have no recollection of any tale telling of such a happening, nor did I feel any 'ancient evil'. So I will have to accept your word on this matter." Gimli was obviously displeased with himself for not having his axe with him.  
  
"I too felt the evil Gimli, but I have no memory of anything like it." Legolas was fingering the hilt of his white handled knife.   
  
"But I do not believe that what happened is the most important thing for us to discover, my friends, it is of great necessity that we find out where we are." Glorfindel rose gracefully to his feet and offered a slender hand to each of the other two aiding them in rising.  
  
"You speak wisely, my Lord." Gimli glanced about for a heavy branch that could be used as a club, should the need arise, "For all the councils we could take would be for naught if we do not know what we are up against."  
  
"And," Legolas laughed lightly, "It may be that we are in Middle Earth again after all, and not in some strange land, for behold, there are mountains rising to the left, where the sun sets, and great forest in the far distance to our right, where my Father's realm should be."  
  
"Shall we explore that way then, Master Elves?" Gimli's eyes where sparkling with excitement and Legolas looked down at him, his own eyes shining with the knowledge that perhaps their adventuring was not over. They both turned their gazes to Glorfindel, and that wise, ancient Elf laughed merrily, and turned his steps toward the Great Greenwood in the distance. Perhaps, after all, they where only in Middle Earth.  
  
Gliding high, where the clouds would keep it form the sight of keen Elven eyes, it's wings fluttering, it's slate grey eyes narrowed, the Pantorii sent out a cry, too deep it was to be heard by the ears of Elves, or Men, or Dwarves, but clearly the sound rang to others of the creature's kindred. Prey, running openly, with no cover near to hand. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: What happens if I don't want to let the whole world know that I own nothing? What happens if I'm and heiress to all Tolkien copyrights? *sigh* dream on... I don't own Middle Earth, Legolas, Glorfindel (the two best Elffys anywhere) or Gimli, but the other world is mine, as are the Pantorii!  
  
Gimli der Zwerg, why shouldn't I take your advice? It was very good advice. :-) I'm glad you like my fic so far.  
  
Treehugger, Thank you, thank you thank you so much for reviewing!!! Anyone who is reading this, go check out Treehugger's stories! This author is the Queen of Legolas and Glorfindel fics!!!!  
  
tenshiamanda, hi, i promise i will try to keep the muse alive, and chapter coming... i'm glad you like the drunks, after all it isn't fair if only humans get tipsy after too much wine, right?  
  
  
Dance for Life. Chapter 3.  
  
Legolas glanced at Gimli in puzzlement when he stopped, "What is wrong, Master Dwarf, have you noticed something unusual?"  
  
Glorfindel had also stopped when Gimli did, and he was now looking around with concern written on his face.  
  
"I feel as if I am being watched." Gimli growled, "And I do not like the feeling at all, not in this open land, there is no defensible positions here."  
  
"It may be worse for us that we did not travel toward the mountains when we had the choice." Glorfindel observed soberly, still scanning their surroundings, for now both Elves could feel the eyes on them, and not just one set of eyes either.  
  
The beauty and the silence where broken by a deep rumbling cry and the plunging of, what seemed to the companions, a multitude of monsters out of the sunlit sky. Before anyone had time to think, Gimli had put his club to work, smashing several of the ugly creatures out of the sky with powerful blows.   
  
Legolas, who had been fingering his knife hilt, pulled the blade free as soon as the cry had rent the air, but he was only able to land one blow, before he was grasped by both arms and picked up bodily into the air.   
  
Glorfindel reached deep within himself drawing on the power within himself to battle this menace, but before he could strike even one blow a fine net of shimmering crystalline fibers drifted down over his head. As it wrapped around him, it seemed to vanish, but his power retreated deep within him, and stayed there coiled and unresponding to the Elf-Lord's attempts to wield it.  
  
The creature that had dropped the net, drew up, its wings straining to gain altitude, watching Glorfindel, and if the Elf hadn't been so concerned with the sudden change in his power, and about the vanished crystalline net, he would have realized the creature was puzzled by something.  
  
Legolas, in the heat of the moment had failed to realize that struggling to free ones self from your captors when they can fly and you are at least two hundred meters in the air is not the wisest thing to do, and he remembered this just as he managed to wriggle loose. He plummeted landward.  
  
Gimli was finding this fight to be, on the whole, totally frustrating, none of the creatures seemed interested in him, only in his companions, and no matter how hard he tried to to stay between them and Glorfindel, it was a failing attempt at best. Also, after the first rush the monsters had learned respect for this short creature, or they already knew the reputation of Dwarves, and wanted no fight with him.  
  
Being an Elf, Glorfindel was an excellent shot with a bow, and a superb fighter with other weapons as well, but that did him absolutely no good when there was no bow, sword or knife near to hand. Two of the creatures caught him by one arm each, and bore him upward. Gimli seeing no other options, lept and caught hold of the Elf-Lord's legs. The winged creatures faultered, wings straining and several more came up, below the Dwarf and pulled him free of the Elf's feet. It took four of them to carry the solid Dwarf.  
  
Legolas could only watch in horror as the ground rushed up to meet him. Just as he had closed his eyes waiting for impact, long claws bit into his chest. One of the creatures had plunged after the Elf and latched onto him with a bear hug, but the jolt as it tried to slow their decent and to rise once again, caused its claws to slip, and the cloth of Legolas' tunic to tear, and it was only when it finally grasped the Elf Prince's arms that the creature found a firm hand hold.  
  
Glorfindel was the only one of the three companions that had the presence of mind, Legolas being wounded, and Gimli being held by legs and arms so that he faced skyward, to see ten of the creatures stoop again, and six rise after a brief flurry of battle, two of them carrying another, unknown, Elf in their claws. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings is not mine, but the Pantorii are, so is the world that the 'companions' are in. Bwahaha!!!  
  
Treehugger, how could I not have Glorfindel in there? He is the second best Elffy in the whole wide Ea!!!   
  
Tenshiamanda, I just realized that you wrote the Mirkwood pranks!!! Slow on the uptake... I love that story, and I see you also have a sequel to it... Yay!!!  
  
Dance for Life. Chapter 4.  
  
Glorfindel rolled to his feet the instant his captors threw him down. The prospects were not good. After all, they where more than a thousand feet up, on a cliff ledge, and the only way down was by flying.  
  
Gimli had raced to Legolas' side the moment he was able, and was heartened to see that although the Elf was pale from blood loss, he did not seem to be experiencing any poisoning, nor did he seem to be endanger of dying. The long claw tracks that marred his chest, and arms where scabbed over, and seemed to be clean.  
  
Glorfindel, leaning over Gimli's shoulder agreed with the observation, and deemed that only time would mend the Prince completely. He then turned his attention the fourth occupant of the ledge.  
  
His black hair clung to his damp forehead, and his skin was pale beneath its, obviously natural swarthy-ness. He looked to be just slightly shorter than Legolas, but he had a gangly appearance, as of one who has reached his full height, but not his full breadth, or is still growing very quickly. Blood stained his tunic, which was rent in many places, and his scabbard was empty, but there was a battle axe strapped to his back.  
  
Gimli had stumped to the edge of the ledge and was looking down at another larger outcropping. Gathered on the ledge where about fifty or sixty of the monsters that had captured them. They seemed to be painfully thin humans, standing anywhere from six to eight feet in height, but they had the coloring of rocks, ranging from almost whites to almost black colors. They did not seem to have any hair, but their eyes were chilling, they where the same color as the creature's skin, and shaped as an insects are, many faceted and bulbous. Their wings seemed to be a strange cross between that of a bat and that of a butterfly. As Gimli puzzled as to how those ridicules looking wings would be able to fly, he aided Legolas in slowly sitting up.   
  
Glorfindel turned with a smile "Well, your Highness, I see you have decided not to visit Mandos' Halls. I can assure you that if we ever get home, Valinor is a much nicer place than Mandos' is." The Prince of Mirkwood smiled at the Elf-Lord's attempted humor. "Look here, Son of Gloin, perhaps, when our young friend decides to awaken he will lend you the axe he carries, for I have never known an Elf to fight with such a weapon."  
  
"That would be a great relief, my Lord!" Gimli looked hopefully at the still form, as if expecting the Elf to jump to his feet instantly, and give the Dwarf the weapon. "How I wish I had been carrying my axe last night."  
  
Legolas looked startled and then laughed, "It was only last night we sang so merrily was it not. I feel like I have live ages since that time."  
  
Glorfindel nodded, "As do I, my friends, as do I."  
  
"As do you what?" The thick, harshly accented voice came from the ground at the Elf-Lord's feet. Startled all three companions looked down at the semi-conscious Elf in amazement. "I'm almost positive I did not grow a third eye, nor a second nose. But were are we? What has happened." The sharp edge of his voice seemed to grate on the Elves' ears even though the language was their own, and the Elven language is very beautiful. Struggling mightily he managed to sit up only when Glorfindel put out a gentle hand and aided him in the act.  
  
"We do not know where we are, we were attacked and carried here by those things," Gimli shoved his thumb over his shoulder, downward, toward the second ledge where their captors were.  
  
"You were captured as we were being flown here." Glorfindel added.  
  
"Oh. Right. I'm Saru." The Elf was twisting this way and that, as best he could, obviously trying to determine the amount of damage he had sustained. "Do you know how far they carried us? Which mountain range we're in?"  
  
"We were carried for several hours, at least." Glorfindel answered. The three companions were hoping this stranger would answer some of their questions, including 'where are we?'. "I am Glorfindel, and my companions are Legolas and Gimli." he added.  
  
Saru sat still and stared at Gimli in amazement. "They captured a Dwarf?" He asked, amazed, "Pantorii never capture Dwarves, they are terrified of them!"  
  
"Those creatures are 'Pantorii'?" Legolas asked quickly.  
  
"Oh, yes, and personally I think the name suits them, but you do not speak the Guynyan language do you. Most of our kindred do not. It means 'mis-born' or 'mis-begotten'." He glared out onto the horizan, then sighed.  
  
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow at the Elf, it was becoming more and more obvious to the Elf-Lord that Saru was only a child. "What bothers you, young one?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Only the fact that I have been proven wrong again. Nikinan said 'Do not stray off too far' and 'You are not yet capable of looking after yourself in these lands, many would seek to harm one of your kind.'" Saru slapped a nearby rock, "I am so tired of being babysat."  
  
The companions exchanged a look over the youngster's head. Obviously he still needed to be babysat, but then maybe so did they. "So, what land are we in?" Gimli asked him.  
  
"Thyatira!" Saru looked at them as if they had to be completely out of their minds not to know that. Then he binked, "Oh. You mean who holds these lands?"  
  
Gimli looked uncertain as to whow to answer, but the young Elf kept talking. "Well, I am not completely sure about right here, but the Orcish Bastion is farther north in this range, if what you say is true, sir, and we were nor carried longer than several hours." He cast his brown eyes toward Glorfindel. "The Elven Kingdom of Salatori is east in the great wood you can see in the far distance."  
  
"Only and Elf can see that far." Grumbled the son of Gloin.  
  
"And..." the lad's voice trailed off, when a deep bellow was raised from the ledge below. "Oh no! They have decided to kill us.. they must have..." Saru looked petrified.  
  
"Give me that axe you carry upon your back, youngster!" Gimli yelled "We'll not go down with out a fight."  
  
Saru spun to his knees, "Unbuckle it, Dwarf, and may Unrèa be with you!"  
  
Legolas tossed Glorfindel one of his white handled knives, "May he be with us all!"  
  
"Whoever he is." the Elf-Lord winked. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Must I go through this agony every chapter??? Must I?!?!? I don't own Gimli (sniff), Glorfindel (sniffsniff), or Legolas (WHAAAAAA...). *cough* anyway...  
  
Treehugger - my fingers don't have wings, they just don't have any choice right now considering the force and speed with which my mind is pumping out ideas. Thank you for mentioning me in your fic. I'm honored! I hope you keep liking my fic. And any word of advise you have for me, it would be appreciated!  
  
Tenshiamanda, hi hi, I finally reviewed, considering I read the beginning of your 'Mirkwood pranks' months ago. Thank you for dropping by and reading mine. Enjoy!  
  
  
Dance for Life. Chapter 5.  
  
  
Gimli worked his hands on the hilt of the battle ax, his face grim, watchful. Legolas and Glorfindel, stood flanking young Saru who had managed to climb to his feet, but wove unsteadily, both older Elves knew he would be almost helpless when the fight came. Legolas sent a worried expression to Glorfindel, because their new friend had no weapon to protect himself with either.  
  
Almost as if he sensed their fears, Saru turned his pale face toward Glorfindel and he managed to stammer, "Do not worry about me, I am not defenseless, my father and Nikinan made sure I would never be without protection. Even with the crys-net binding me."  
  
They heard the beating of wings as the Pantorii rose into the air. Glorfindel, experimentally reached deep within himself but his power was still, and unresponding. With a sigh of resignation the Elf-Lord brought his borrowed knife up, ready to do physical battle as he had not done in many decades.  
  
The first Pantorii to come over the end of the ledge met, not a club, but the razor edge of a mithril battle ax wielded by a Dwarf who had friends depending on him. They fell dead before him, but more came. Legolas moved forward to cover his partner's back, slashing at the eyes, throats, and bellies of the enemy.   
  
Glorfindel waited ready, until the creatures had learned wisdom, and no longer attacked from the front of the ledge, but flew higher and dropped down on every side. Then the four, Saru still a little unsteady, and Legolas hampered by the pull of the claw scores on his arms and chest, formed a semi-circle with their backs to the wall. Glorfindel made certain he shielded the much younger Elf from the battle as much as possible.  
  
Saru watched in amazement as the Pantorii fell, he knew that the Eldest of the three had a crys-net binding him, but Glornd (was that the name he had said?) seemed to be slowed not at all, and certainly not drained and unsteady as Saru himself felt due to the net. Also neither of the Elves, including the slightly smaller one, seemed affected by the deep rumblings that the black haired youngster could hear just at the lowest range of his hearing. Another thing was, Legla (or something like that) was slaying an equivalent number of monsters to that of the Dwarf, considering the difference in weapons of course. It was unheard of! One of his own kind, who SHOULD be under the influence of Pantorii poison, matching a Dwarf in battle. Saru felt very befuddled indeed, this could not be happening.  
  
Glorfindel was rushed by three of the creatures at once, and even as he stabbed his knife into one of them he knew he could not kill them all. He shouted to Saru to wake up and protect himself. Suddenly the youngster lunged and his bare hand stabbed out, fingers straight at the closest enemy, the Pantorii fell back its face torn open. That moment of distraction was all the Elf-Lord need and the third monster fell dead, as did two more which had come up behind the now dead three. Saru smiled weakly and collapsed forward onto hard stone.  
  
The Pantorii all rose into the air, rumbling deep in their chests to one another and began to fall back, they wanted no more of these three fighters. Legolas and Gimli grinned at one another, Glorfindel caught Mirkwood's prince in a wild dance of victory, and they all whooped for the joy of it.   
  
Saru slowly jacked himself up, grinning weakly, and Gimli bent to give him a steadying arm. "We did it." The Dwarf stated.  
  
"You mean, you did it." Saru corrected.  
  
Glorfindel looked kindly on the youngster, "No, we did it. You gave Gimli the ax, did you not?" Saru's young face broke into a smile that seemed to light up the very heavens.   
  
And that was when they realized two things. It was almost fully dark, and they were still on a ledge, more than a thousand feet in the air, with no way to get down.   
  
"Well," Legolas said cheerfully, "It cannot get worse, we should be glad of that."  
  
"You are right, Master Elf," Gimli answered. "No food, no water, no shelter to be had, and no way out. There is no way it could get worse."  
  
Saru frowned, "You tempt Unrèa mightily with your talk!" he snapped.  
  
Glorfindel looked upward, smiling slightly, "I do not see how it could get worse, little one, the Pantorii will not return, will they?" Stars were just beginning to show in the deep indigo sky, the view was magnificent, the temperature was moderate. Then the stars seemed to flicker, and a deeper shade of darkness passed over the sky. Glorfindel, Legolas and Gimli exchanged horrified looks. What more would this world 'Thyatira' throw at them?   
  
"Maybe Mithrandir has discovered what brought us here, and will bring us back to Valinor soon." Legolas chirped hopefully. Gimli shot his a look of disgust, and Glorfindel ignored them both watching the huge shadow as it circled over head.  
  
"I do not know, but I do not think Unrèa is my favorite person right now." Gimli growled at Saru, who cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Yes, but who is Unrèa." He responded cheekily, mimicing the Elf-Lord's earlier remark. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: What do you think I'm going to say? Hummm? I don't own any of Middle Earth, or any of Tolkien's characters. Saru, Pantorii and Thyatira are mine though, as is Nikinan.  
  
Authors' Note: Please bare in mind that all of this story is technically taking place in Elvish, not Westron, or one of the other languages of Middle Earth, unless it is specified that they are speaking in another tongue.  
  
Tenshiamanda, yes they are in another world. Please don't be too confused. They (Gimli, Glorfindel and Legolas) simply THOUGHT they were in Middle Earth, but were proved wrong. Give Saru a break though :-) (please), he's a lot younger than even Gimli.  
  
Gimli der Zwerg, welcome back.  
  
Treehugger, I love cliff hangers... as long as I'm not the one having to live with them while reading the story. :-)  
  
Jevvica, I'm glad you like it. As for hiding it, I just rescued it from a Pantorii. :-)  
  
  
Dance for Life. Chapter 6.  
  
  
Gimli felt a distinct sense of dejavù as he twisted his hands on the hilt of the battle ax. Legolas narrowed his eyes trying to see exactly what they were up against, and Glorfindel attempted once again to call up his power, without success.  
  
Saru also watched the huge dark form's circling, but unlike when the Pantorii had decided to kill their captives, he seemed to have no fear of this new menace. In fact he seemed delighted by it, he raced to the edge of the ledge and with a whoop began waving his arms wildly. Legolas lept forward and grabbed the youngster back from the terrible drop, and only with Glorfindel's help did he succeed in quieting the child's yells.  
  
"What are you doing?" he gasped. "Have you gone mad?" Glorfindel obviously was having similar thoughts.  
  
Saru was furious. He hissed something through Glorfindel's hand and even though the words were muffled, both Elves cringed back from the sounds of the Black Speech.  
  
Legolas shook the dark haired lad, and whispered angrily "What ails you? Why have you..."  
  
The huge form resolved into a Dragon plummeting toward them. In the heat of the moment Saru got free of the older Elves and dashed forward again, placing his body between Gimli and the approaching horror. Great claws reached out of the darkness, and wind buffeted them, then all was silent.  
  
"What just happened?" Gimli asked quietly. Both Glorfindel and Legolas where staring at the now empty spot where Saru had stood with identical looks of blank dismay. Neither of them, for all their years, could understand what had possessed their young companion to draw attention to himself as he had done. Legolas dropped to his belly and peered over the lip of the shelf they were on, but the moon was behind the cliff and it cast a black shadow on the world below them.  
  
Glorfindel moved to stand beside Legolas' prone body and Gimli joined them. "One would almost think that all the Dragon wanted was Saru." the Elf-Lord commented.  
  
"Perhaps we should rest, and see in the morning what can be done to salvage this situation." Legolas added, glancing at Gimli to discover his opinion on the matter.  
  
"An excellent idea, Master Elf." the Dwarf responded. "Though I would have thought, perhaps, you Elves would want to sing now, to raise your spirits." The Dwarf moved back away from the drop-off, and seated himself. Legolas sighed softly and came over and joined him on the hard stone. Glorfindel laughed softly, but the sound was not as merry as it could have been, and it saddened the Dwarf to hear it. The Elf-Lord seated himself with his legs dangling over the edge of their ledge, and began to sing, softly.  
  
  
Gil-galad was an Elven king,  
  
of him the Harpers sadly sing,  
  
the last whose Realm was fair and free,  
  
between the mountains and the sea.  
  
  
He broke of, shaking his head, and laughed again, "I cannot seem to think of any song, save those that tell of sorrow, Master Dwarf."  
  
"Well then, what if this?" And in his gravel-y, but not unpleasant voice he chanted out a rollicking Dwarf song about the Elder Days when Moria had been a great kingdom, translating it as best as he was able into the Elven tongue. Soon Legolas, with his light tenor, was attempting to join in the chorus and Glorfindel had lept to his feet, dancing gracefully. In the end Gimli was unable to chant more for he was laughing too hard, and Legolas, since he did not know the words, simple made some up. Glorfindel pulled Legolas to his feet, and they danced and sang while Gimli roared with laughter, and tried to join them, only to fall over again.  
  
They did not worry about Saru at that moment, because they knew that they would be able to do nothing for him until the moon came over the edge of the cliff, or the sun rose. Just as the moon was nearing the lip of the mountain above them, clouds began to gather, the sky darkened completely, and soon rain began to fall. Not in a wild storm, but a steadily soaking downpour. The companions lifted their faces to the moisture and drank as well as they where able.  
  
They were taking their ease, Gimli leaning against the cliff, Legolas beside him, and Glorfindel once again perched on the edge of the rock-shelf, when the Elf-Lord spoke. "We have been here almost a full day now. What more do we know of this land we find ourselves in?"  
  
The rain was steady and refreshing, the sound of it's fall was soothing. "We know that an Orcish kingdom lies to the North, and an Elvish one is westward." Gimli's breathing was growing heavier, but he listened to the Elves speaking even as sleep tried to claim him.  
  
"Yes, and we know that the creatures that captured us are Pantorii..."  
  
"That for some reason, judging by Saru's response, don't normally attack Dwarves." Gimli roused himself enough to interject.  
  
"These Pantorii netted me with something, the child called a crys-net, and it seems to prevent me from using the power within me."   
  
"And Saru was wearing one also. He said that 'I am not defenseless even wearing a crys-net'. Or something to that effect."  
  
"Do we know anything else?" All three thought hard. Then Legolas said suddenly. "Yes. We do. Saru was glad to see the Dragon."  
  
Gimli and Glorfindel turned to look straight at the Prince of Mirkwood. But both, when they thought about it, had to agree with his observation, Saru had gone mad but had indeed been glad to see the Dragon. But why?  
  
"This ax is not Dwarf crafted." Gimli suddenly commented. "Although the workmanship is magnificent."  
  
Glorfindel leaned over, a frown tugging at his brows. "You are right. The style reminds me of the blades forged by the Noldor Lords in Valinor."  
  
"And Pantorii is a word in 'Guynyan'." Legolas looked rather proud of remembering that tidbit. "Who or what is a Guynyan, and where is Guynya, if Guynyan's inhabit it?"  
  
"What think you, son of Gloin?" Glorfindel turned to the Dwarf who had lain down again, after his observation about the weapon. "Have you any more..." He trailed off, with a quiet laugh, for the Dwarf was snoring, and was not listening.  
  
"I will watch first, my Lord." Legolas said softly. Glorfindel nodded, once, and curled up with his back to the cliff wall, and let his mind drift into Elven dreams. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Middle Earth... Especially not Legolas... *sigh* *sniff* and so on... 

Hello People, I'm back. Sorta. I didn't really like the way this chapter turned out, but I finally got around to doing something about it. Hope those of you who are still out there like it. I will hopefully add a new chapter sometime in the next couple weeks, but after this long, I can promise nothing. So, on with:

  
  


Chapter 7

  
  


Glorfindel opened his eyes to bright sunlight and a pair of golden eyes staring back into his own. He jerked backward away from the face, and hit his head against the cliff wall. He felt warm blood dampen his hair, and the owner of the face backed up, as startled by his movement as the Elf-lord was by the other's presence.  
  
He shifted his eyes to the right and saw both Legolas and Gimli tied with what seemed to be strong white rope. Then his mind clicked into motion and he realised he had been lying on his back, and the other had been hanging over him, holding onto the wall with bare fingers and toes.  
  
The Elf-lord sat up slowly and raised his hand just as slowly to touch his bleeding head. It would heal. He watched his visitor with wary interest, waiting for him to make the first move. This also gave him a brief moment to see what he was up against. If Saru had acted like a child, this one looked like a child. His eyes where large and seemed filled with innocence, his body slender and small, if Glorfindel had stood with arms out to each side, the visitor could have walked under them easily. His hair was the color and texture of corn silk, and his ears shaped like the Elf-lord's own. Had the creature had not been hanging upside down from a sheer cliff, with only his splayed out hands and feet to support him, Glorfindel would have sworn he was an Elf.  
  
He opened his mouth and out of it came a chittering, sibilant language which Glorfindel had never heard before. The Elf-like-thing extended his small hand, finger extended to point at the Elf-lord's chest, and he chittered again.  
  
With a quick glance at his companions, which showed them to still be unmoving, he trained his eyes back on the creature and said softly "I am sorry, but I do not understand you."

"Eh?" the little creature cocked his head to the side, and blinked. A soft hiss escaped him, and his, well Glorfindel assumed the elf-creature was a 'he', eyes narrowed. No longer did he seem quite so sweet and innocent.

Legolas stirred slightly, and both blondes glanced toward him. A small hand, finger extended toward the Elf-Lord's bound friends stabbed out. "Geef up see crysss, and free yaa haf!" Glorfindel was sure it was the Elven tongue, but he had never heard such an accent before.

"I give up, something, and we go free?" he hazarded carefully.

A hssss that seemed agreement followed. The only problem now seemed to be that Glorfindel had no idea what he wanted. He reached to the neck of his tunic, and tugged of the broach that held his cloak on, extending it.

The small white hand slapped at the offering angrily, and if Glorfindel had not been watching he would have missed the lightning quick extension of claws that sliced out, just missing the side of his arm. Lips pulled back from small, dangerous looking fangs, and the Elf-Lord got the message, his visitor was not amused. The ancient Elf refastened his cloak, while a low rumble told him that Gimli was waking, and was no more amused than his erst-while guest.

"I don't know what you want!" he finally snapped in exasperation, having made two more abortive attempts to give the creature something. "And I'll not give you my life!"

The little Elf-thing hopped over Glorfindel's head, there could be no other word to describe it, with graceful ease he simply seemed to fly three feet up and twenty feet forward, landing right beside Legolas and Gimli, the latter who was now very much awake. He spoke for a moment to the Dwarf in the Naugrim tongue, but the warrior only shook himself like a dog, trying to loosen the bonds that held him fast. The small blonde's eyes grew even more flinty and he grasped Legolas, pulling the semi-comatose Elf part way onto his knees as he crouched by the captives, wicked silver claws sild into view with a steely hiss, only a breath from Glorfindel's helpless friend's throat. Gimli froze. The creature spoke to the Dwarf again.

Turning to Glorfindel, the Dwarf growled, "It says we have to give it the crys, or it'll slit Legolas' throat."

"As is I did not understand the last part." Glorfindel commented drily, then "Ask him was a crys is."

The creature's eyebrows flew up, seeming to touch him hairline. "Crysss!" He let Legolas down and skittered over to the Elf-Lord, pulling a smooth metal sphere out of his tunic as he came. "Es cryss!" Suddenly the net that had vanished when it touched the older Elf when they were captured by the Pantorii was glowing again, and seemed to be drawn to the little sphere, and in a moment it was gone. Glorfindel reached to test for his inner power, and felt it respond properly, then out of the corner of his eye he saw the little creature heading up the cliff. The Elf-Lord lunged upward and caught the small foot, just as it climbed out of reach. Both toppled back to the ledge. Glorfindel found himself trying to control a raging ball of claws and fangs, gaining almost instantly long bloody scratches. "Help us off here!" The ancient Elf bellowed over his captive's high pitched yowls, bringing a small amount of his power to bear, and stilled the struggles firmly. Silence reigned. Huge golden eyes looked up at Glorfindel, surprise written clearly on his face.

"Ysss, srrrr!"

Glorfindel slowly let go. "Untie my friends." 

"Yss, srr." He hopped to Legolas and slashed the white cords, a bit of tugging followed and the limp Elf was free, if only he would wake up.

Looking at Gimli, the Rivendell Elf requested, "Ask him what is wrong with the Prince of Mirkwood."

"Trd!"

Glorfindel blinked. "Pardon?"

"Ess, trd." When the large Elf continued to look blank, the small creature turned to Gimli and uttered something in his language.

The dwarf looked doubtful, "It says the Elf's just tired. I don't be trusting it!" 

Glorfindel looked a warning at the slightly cowed creature, "Just tired?"

"Ysss!" He made a scratching motion with his hand "I sscrtch! Hee trd!"

Glorfindel frowned, "You scratched him..."

A groan from the Mirkwood Prince, and a shaky attempt to sit up had the little creature off the hook for the moment. But only too soon, the Elf-Lord turned his eyes on him again. "Free Gimli." He commanded, knowing that he had to stay on his guard because the creature was likely to try to escape at any moment. When the task was complete Glorfindel raised an eyebrow in query, "You said, if I give you the crys, you would get us free. Can you?"

The little fellow sat back on his heels and cocked his head to one side. The Elf-Lord was struck again how birdlike The motion was, but how unbirdlike The creature who made The motion, aside form being small and fair. "Ess ysss."

"You can?" Gimli looked very unhappy about trusting The thing farther, but The had no choice. 

Glorfindel said softly, hoping to know more of The creature before he trusted it entirely, "I'm Glorfindel. The dwarf is Gimli, and my Elf friend is Legolas."

"Glorrrrfndl? Giiimiii? Leglsss?"

The Elf-Lord smiled softly, "Close enough."

Their visitor tapped his chest "Mmm Colii!"

Legolas watched The proceedings through slowly focussing eyes. Glorfindel knew he would need more time to recover, before they went anywhere, if it was possible, so he concentrated on The creature, and learning about it. "I'm an Elf." He commented. The other nodded gravely. "Gimli is a Dwarf. Which you must know, because you speak his language. But what are you?" He was beyond being tactful, besides if he tried to hint at the question, with the language barrier, Colii might miss the point all together.

The response sounded like a purr. The Elf-Lord's bewilderment must have shown on his face, because The small creature frowned slightly in concentration and rasped out, "Sssheelosss. Mmm Sssheelosss. Macherrr ess Elena, Facherrr ess Elf!" 

"Your father is an Elf? Your mother is, Elena?" Glorfindel's bewilderment did not lessen, but a now quite friendly seeming Colii nodded enthusiastically. The Elf-Lord decided he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Besides Legolas now seemed steady enough, so he said, "Shall we get off this cliff, as you agreed?"

"Ysss." The small creature scrambled to The edge of The cliff, and looked down to the next level, which was now littered with the dead bodies of Pantorii that the companions had hurled down to clean off their own small ledge. To their watching eyes he seemed to draw rope out of nowhere, but where ever he got it, more long, strong, white rope appeared. It was only a matter of time before they had worked their way to the Pantorii ledge, and from there down and down to the base of The cliff. The sun was just setting on their second day in this land of Thyatira when they reached ground.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Tolkien owns Middle Earth. I own this world! Legolas, Gimli and Glorfindel, as well as Valinor and common speech are all his.

Hope ya'll like it!

  
  


Chapter 8

  
  


Gimli sank wearily to the ground, and Legolas seated himself beside his comrade. Now that the pressing question of the cliff was answered, all of them felt hunger clawing at their bellies.

  
  


"Aye, laddy!" Gimli fixed his eyes on Colii who was tugging at his rope, which was still fastened far up the cliff, "Hey! Where do you find places of habitation in this land?"

  
  


"And if I know you my friend, your more worried about a mug of ale, a pipe of the vile weed and food." Legolas rolled his eyes at his old friend. "Am I right?"

  
  


"I wouldna say it in that order, Elf, but that'll do." The Dwarf's unpredictable temper took a slight turn for the worse when his question was completely ignored by the little creature. "But also I'd like to give that one," He jerked his chin at Colii, "A taste of Saru's ax! After all, he attacked up, and drugged you, Legolas."

  
  


Colii seemed not to hear anything they said, focusing intently on the rope in his hand, Glorfindel jumped in slight surprise when suddenly a small flame licked out of the Elf-thing's fingers, it licked up the rope faster than thought, and burned it all away. The three companions exchanged glances. The little one glanced at them "Ess prroff. Colii haf no proff hind!"

  
  


Glorfindel struggled to figure out what the creature had said, but Legolas questioned "The rope is proof that you have passed this way, and you don't want anyone to know you have been here?" All eyes swivel from the Prince of Mirkwood to their strange helper, who nodded.

  
  


"Ysss." Large golden eyes blinked at Glorfindel in surprise, and the Elf-Lord smiled. After all, he had wanted to say that word since Colii had first said it. 

  
  


A small smile pulled at the creature's mouth, and he opened his own mouth, fierce concentration clouding onto his features, "Y... Yeee... Yessss!!!!" They both laughed, the ending hiss was to be expected after all. "Pepl. Chrrrr." He added after he had controlled his giggles, and pointed southward as he spoke.

  
  


Gimli looked slightly more friendly at this news. "People, over there?" He wanted to make sure he understood correctly. They would once again head away from the mountains again. Last time they did that, they had been attacked.

  
  


"Yesss. Offer chere!" he straightened to his feet and took several trotting steps away from the companions. "Yessss. Chom!"

  
  


The three readied themselves to follow. "Why're we doing this? We shouldn't trust the welp!" The Dwarf queried worriedly, and rather insistently.

  
  


Legolas shrugged and Glorfindel sighed, "We have no choice, son of Gloin. We know nothing of this world, and we need refreshment."

  
  


"So? Go kill a deer, or go pick some leaves if that suits you palate better." the warrior grumbled back.

  
  


Legolas looked down as his comrade, bewildered, "Just moments ago, you were wishing for ale and pipeweed. What has changed?"

  
  


"Trust that Elfling creature I do not!" Colii stiffened slightly, his eyes darting form face to face. "I thought when I spoke of food, ale and pipe weed, that we would be rid of the thing here, it would point the way to a town and be gone."

  
  


"Beware." Gimli turned to look at the little creature. He knew that neither of his companions could understand what was being said by it, but knew he could tell them in just a moment. In passing, he wondered where the creature had learned the Dwarven tongue. "Do not hunt, in these lands unknowing. The Haun lay claim in this region, to prey. The Jant also will be angry if you attempt to take what their's is. Satas, and Itr also this area run. Beware, I give you. Those the woodland creatures only are. Monsters there be else."

  
  


The two Elves looked at Gimli who told them the warning that they had been given. When Gimli was finished talking, Colii simply starting walking away. He didn't stop, or pause, or look behind. The other three, not sure what else to do, moved after him. They proceeded in silence as total dark fell, and rustlings began in the grasses of the open lands.

  
  


The moon had just started the rise, when the lights of a village came into view suddenly. They had, in the past few hours learned that the open lands were not flat by any stretch of the imagination. Colii hurried his steps toward a large brightly lit building on the edge of the town, and Legolas was startled to realize that the buildings themselves created a wall about the village. None could enter the place accept by the inn's door. No other opening was there in the barrier, at least not at entrance height. The archer was certain that there were narrow windows in the second story, and probably on the roof as well, but due to the well lit entrance, his eyes could not penetrate the surrounding darkness to be certain.

  
  


By this time their little guide had rapped firmly on the door of the inn. A bellow from within questioned their origin, species and general sanity, after all, it was past dusk, and the Haun were out! All this in the common human tongue of Middle Earth. Glorfindel felt relief that at least they would not face the problem they had with Colii everywhere they went. The little creature skittered around behind Glorfindel, and pushed him forward, obviously he was unwilling to answer.

  
  


"We are Elves and a Dwarf, far from home, and in need of shelter." Glorfindel raised his voice to be heard. "We ask lodgings in you town."

  
  


The door shuddered, thumped, thrummed, and finally was thrown open to admit them. "Welcome. Welcome. Well met, I hope!" A small human, with kind eyes and a ready smile, and a mich bigger voice than his body, greeted them. "Come in. But I do have to ask for your surety. Can ya quote me a figger?" Colii poked his head out from behind the Elf-Lord's tall body, but he said nothing.

  
  


"We have silver coin." Legolas said at last, they didn't have much but is should be enough, and they also had some adornments from the feast in Valinor.

  
  


Colii jerked in shock as Legolas pulled a coin from his pouch to prove his words to be true. The creature's pale hand was lightning quick and got there a breath before the Innkeeper's did. His luminous gold eyes glittered in the shadowed entrance hall, "Sssilvarrr!" He looked with strong accusation at Glorfindel, "Yuuu nossa!"

  
  


Puzzled the Elf-Lord looked down at him, "I did not say? You mean I did not tell you we had coin? Why should I?"

  
  


However, the Innkeeper seemed to have other worries. He had gone ashen faced, and was backing away from Colii while pointing at him with a shaking finger, and seeming to try to say something. At least his mouth was moving, but no sound came out. 

  
  


Gimli took a step towards the man, hoping to catch him before he fell. "Shelos! Shelos!" The man had found his voice. The entire house seemed to shake with his bellow. Colii ducked way from the noise, hunching his shoulders and backing toward the door. His hand were held ready at his sides. Glorfindel knew from personal experience how sharp those claws were.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings is not mine, not Legolas, Glorfindel, or Gimli. But Thyatira is._

**Treehugger**: Since I love your stories so much, and you reviewed, I actually got off my rear and updated. I'll try and do so more regularly. No promises but I will try.Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, cause it's all for you!

__**Dance for life.**

Kasi-kun__

_Chapter 9._

In moments the door that led farther into the village burst open and in poured a score of militiamen, all of them armed and looking like they expected to be fighting for their lives. The gatekeeper had fallen back behind the other villagers and was lost to the companions' eyes, though Legolas presumed that the noncombatant had been ushered from the room as quickly as possible. The four of them found themselves facing a veritable wall of weapons, though some of them where no better than pitchforks. Gimli gripped Saru's axe tightly, and Glorfindel reached for his inner power, while Legolas again rued his decision to leave his bow in his room before the feast in Valinor only two nights ago. All of the companions were thinking desperately, trying to figure out exactly what they could do to dispel the situation.

In that instant Colii underwent another lightning mood change, his face seemed to crumple and he went from a ready warrior to a frightened child. Trembling slightly he flung himself at Legolas, clasping his arms around the Prince's waist, and looking up at them all with soulful golden eyes. "Masserrr. Colii good! Prrromissss! No hurrrch pepl."

Legolas looked at his new accessory in amazement, but Gimli was quick enough to take the opening given. "Ye see what ye've done?"

"Yes!" Legolas put in, seeming affronted, "We'll not get him off for hours!"

Gimli nodded, "The lad'll do no harm to ye, he obeys well." His friends could see his grimace through his beard at the thought of owning another intelligent creature. Orcs did that. Not Dwarves, Humans, or Elves. Well, alright, Men did, but only those who sided with evil.

The nervous villagers seemed to relax at the comment, a controlled 'Shelos' must be safe to them, but tensed again when the Innkeeper pushed his way out of the doorway and forward indignantly. "Harmless? Bah! That Thing nearly took my hand off! It'll eat us all in our beds! Look at it! It's Shelos! Have you all lost your minds?"

Colii grimaced at the man, frustration clear on his face. "Yuuu stel! Sssilvarrr for rrruum? Fuud? Hsss!" Legolas started when the little creature's hand extended with one tiny silver coin balanced on his palm, the child must have picked his pockets for that, it bore the crest of Valinor.

The silence stretched, as all the Humans looked to one hard-bitten man, who appeared to be in charge of the militia. "I'm sorry." He spoke finally, "I don't want to contest lineage with you gentlemen," his voice was deep, thoughtful, and slightly sad, "but we do have to look out for our own people. Too often travellers have been allowed into a village to it's destruction. I will have to ask you to leave this place. I realize, good Dwarf," He turned to the son of Gloin, "that in better times your presence alone should guarantee your companions entrance, but you can see my position? I hope so. There are too many questions about all three of your friends. I am sorry. I bid you farewell, and safe night."

A quick glance flew between Gimli and Legolas. While neither were completely surprised at the Human's suspicions concerning Elves, they found it rather bewildering that the villagers were willing, even eager to trust and accept the Dwarf, and thereby his companions.

Since the Man seemed to be waiting for some sort of response, Gimli bowed slightly toward the Captain and rumbled, "Mayhap we will meet under better circumstances then." The Dwarf did not think that arguing with the fellow would gain them anything but angry words, "but I would ask a question of you before we leave." Glorfindel's eyebrow shot up. Asking what lands they were in after having vouched the honesty of the little 'Shelos' creature would surely not be the best of plans.

The man looked slightly happier. "If I can answer it, I surely shall." He vowed.

"Do you know a lad black of hair, dark of skin, about the height of my friend there," he gestured to Legolas, "but gangly, as a child just not having reached his breadth after a swift growing period. We had a bit of trouble with a dragon last night, and we lost track of him, but this axe belongs to him, and we thought that we might return it to his kin."

"He said his name was Saru." The prince of Mirkwood added.

The man dropped into a fighting crouch, just as quickly as Colii pulled away from Legolas. The tension in the room recoiled itself until all were strung tighter that well made bows. "I think that you should leave now. Any who travel with Saru are not welcome here, and are no friends of this village. Be warned if you are seen in this area come dawn of day you will be killed on sight." His eyes flickered to the still shocked Colii. "Well, we'll try to kill you, though I don't think that you remembered to mention this other friendship to your pet, and I don't think that he will be so willing to help you now."

The companions backed out of the Inn's entrance, and were slightly surprised to see that Colii came with them. Large golden eyes looked up at the older Elves for a moment, and they seemed to glow in the moonlight, like a cat's would. The village gates slammed shut, and a bar could be heard dropping into place. "Chom. Cher isss sssaf plsss. Offer cherr. No pepl. We tak. Ysss?"

Tired, hungry and bewildered, the other three agreed. Hopefully someone could answer their questions, and tell them what had gone wrong. What was wrong with Saru?

_S S S S S_

Legolas stood before the fire blazing in the hearth, he knew that Elves didn't feel the cold too badly, not like Humans, but who would have thought that an icy rain storm could spring out of a clear sky like that. Happy that his clothes were drying well, he glanced around the room in wonder. This land had many surprises. Cold rain from a cloudless summer night, perfestly cozy little houses under hills. When Colii had first burst into the room, which he had obviously been aiming for in the first place, the archer had expected a little Hobbit to come puffing out of a side hallway to greet them, but nothing in this place stirred, except them. Thick colorful rugs covered the floor, wall hangings and tapestries that looked to be sown by children covered the dirt walls. Several large overstuffed chairs graced the edges of this room, as if waiting to be pulled up nearer to the fire. Gimli had commented that they shouldn't sit on them until everyone was dry and the others had agreed. In the centre of the room was a heavy wooden table, surely it had been very nice once, but it was scored all over with groves that looked to be claw marks. Or perhaps slashes from many daggers. All in all the entire place was a perfect mystery to all of them, well, except for Colii. At least the rain had finally stopped falling outside.

"Colii go." The little creature had wrung most of the water out of his clothes as soon as they had gotten the fire blazing, and now he was mostly dry and heading full speed for the door.

Glorfindel looked up quickly from where he was crouched on the other side of Gimli from Mirkwood's prince. "Oh no! You do not!" One swift lunge had him between their reluctant guide and the door, and the Elf-Lord had his hands at the child's waist, sweeping him off the floor, and seating him firmly on the table. "We, well I know for sure that I do, want some answers and you are not leaving this place until we get them!"

Colii looked shocked. He wriggled experimentaly, and when he found he couldn't budge the larger Being's grip, he struggled wildly. Just as he had back on the Pantorii ledge, when the creature had his first change of heart and become so helpful, Glorindel reached deep inside himself and used a little of his inner power to still the kind-of-Elfling's thrashing. Colii's eyes seemed to envelope his face, terror rolled off him in waves, his whole little frame shaking with it. The Elf-Lord felt sick, he was really a very kind Elf and didn't like scaring the lad like this, but the lives of him and his friends might depend on what they could learn, and Colii was their only source of knowledge right now.

"Are you willing to cooperate now?" Legolas had come silently up beside the older Elf and now watched their captive with sad eyes. Gimli flanked the Elf-Lord on the other side.

Colii nodded yes.

So, they would start small, hopefully, after all, in this topsy turvy world who knew what was a big deal to them or just a small thing. "How did you know where this house was?" Legolas asked softly.

Colii qwerked and eyebrow, obviously puzzled why they would scare him and then ask such a simple question. "Colii brucherssses plsss."

"This is your brother's house? Why isn't he here?" Gimli hoped that asking these questions would help calm the creature so they could be sure to understand him when they asked other more complicated things.

"Brucherssses iss luukin frrr Colii."

Gimli obviously had grown tired of attempting to puzzle out everything the creature said for the next words he spoke were uncomprehensible to Glorfindel and Legolas, but Colii seemed to like the change of language a great deal. "Your brother is out looking for you?"

"Yes, and there are three of them looking. Brothers, I have many, but only those three live here."

"Why would they be out looking for you? Did you know they would be gone when you brought us here?"

"I hoped they would be gone, they will be very cross with me when they do catch up and delay that as long as I can, I will." Gimli raised a bushy eyebrow and Colii sighed, obviously he didn't want to have to tell why they were out searching for him. "It is the oldest in a group's duty, Brother Kandor in this case, care for the youngest. I am not considered old enough to be out from under the eyes of my elders, almost but not quite. So, when I ran away they would of course go out to track me. I'm good at hiding my trail, but they will find me, they are better afterall."

"What is it with children in this world running way from their carekeepers? That is what Saru was doing too!" Gimli fixed a stern glare on the little one, and Glorfindel tightened his hands at the Dwarf's expression. Curiosity played on both Elves faces, wondering what was being said by the other two. Colii on the other hand bared his teeth at Saru's name, and hissed angrily. "That, I want to know! Why do you dislike Saru so much? How do you know him?"

Colii kicked his foot like a toddler wanting to have a temper tantrum, and finally glanced up. "His people kill mine, and whenever we have his kind in our claws, we kill them. At least that's what the adults say. Do you honestly like Saru?"

"What difference does it make to you?" The Dwarf countered.

"You do know that is why they wouldn't let you into the human village, besides me. They think that your friends are some of that clan. Saru's kind. Only Goblelf's get so big as them. They _are_ Goblelf's aren't they?" He sent an uneasy glance at Glorfindel.

"The one holding you is the Elf-Lord Glorfindel, late of Imladris and then Valinor. The other is the Prince of Mirkwood, Lord of Ithillian, also now of Valinor. They are Elves. Not this other kind of creature."

Colii's eyes now seemed to about ready to fall out of his head. Then he laughed. "You jest! You must! Those are only places out of a story! Middle Earth and all that. I suppose that you are Gimli son of Gloin, and the axe you bear was forged in the mines of Moria, when it was still inhabited by Dwarves!"

"I am Gimli, but the axe is Saru's and I need to return it to his kinfolk and tell them of the child's demise."

"You honestly don't know. You don't know anything about this world do you? You really are from another place. You must be. Not even the stupidest person would come to this part of Thyatira unless they knew a lot more about it."

"Quickly though. How did you know who I was?"

"Heard tales, I have, all my life. About a Fellowship, an Evil Lord, a Ring and a little nine-fingered fellow who everyone saved... no who saved everyone. One of the Eldest-of-all-Brothers said that when he was my age he got dragged into this other place and learned of the story from a Man called Halbarad that he travelled with for a while. He was a very old man then, this Halbarad was."

"Ah. Now, what about Saru?"

"If I'm going to tell you, could you let me sit somewhere nicer? I promise not to run away. We aren't too damp now either. Tell that to him?" The little one shifted, looking hopefully up at Glorfindel, who when Gimli had explained what he had learned, and added Colii's request, nodded and lifted him to the floor, setting the creature on his feet. They spent several long moments arranging the chairs, and once settled, Gimli looked expectantly at the golden eyed one.

"Now, do tell. Why did the villagers react so badly about Saru."

"Saru was just brought to these lands a few months ago. They say he was raised in a Human land in a castle, as a Prince. Grapevine learned quickly that he is the youngest of the three sons of the King of the Orcs. We also learned that the Dragon that you think has slain him is really his guardian who he calls Nicinan, and that this guardian will kill any who appear to wish him harm. A guardian who also get really annoyed whenever Saru tries to get out of his watchful care. Most people are afraid that he will be as unpredictable and cruel as his older brother who is only know as _Slash_." this name was spoken in the Elvish tongue, "That is why they act like they do when his name is mentioned. I personally think that Slash has changed anyway, and that he only did what he did 'cause it was war between Orcs and Humans, but they don't look at it that way. At least the people from the villages around here don't anyway. And I know that some of my brothers are friends with Slash and Mother's friend Itr is a friend of Slash's too, so he can't be all bad, no matter what he did in the past." Gimli only had time to blink before the child took another breath launched back into his explanation. "That aside. I think that meeting up with him, Saru I mean, wouldn't be too bad, I was just surprised back at Fulka Town when you said you knew him, that's why I reacted badly. Is that really his?"

Gimli had never believed that Colii would be so willing to answer their questions, let alone in such detail. Though, half of the dialogue was lost on him for the moment, but he was sure that given time he would understand it better. Realizing that the little one was still looking at the axe in his hand the Dwarf nodded and turned to translate it all to his companions.

The two Elves took a while to digest it all, but Legolas spoke first. "What is a Goblelf?" Three sets of eyes swung to Colii.

The little one grinned, showing all his teeth, and answered in Dwarvish, "It is someone who is half Elf and half Great Orc. That's how they get so big. Most Elves are my size, but crossbreeds like the Goblelves are a lot bigger. Though that might have something to do with the fact that I've never seen a Great Orc that is smaller than six and a half feet tall."

The horror that showed on Gimli's face was quickly mirrored on the faces Legolas and Glorfindel, when he translated for them. But they were unable to ask anymore questions, because at that moment the door opened and in walked a young human with bright green eyes and black hair. He was looking back over his shoulder talking to two others, both of whom looked a great deal like Colii. The second two saw the scene in the room and froze, the Human, seeing their faces spun to see what surprised them and then he to stiffened in amazement, hardly a blink of time followed before his lips pulled back from he teeth revealing fangs just like Colii's.

"Kandor!" The word echoed in the room, and then Colii lunged from his chair heading for a hallway and in moments all pandemoneum had broken loose.

tbc...

I'm not sure that this is the land that Legolas became Lord of, but I don't have my book with me, and I hope that you people are willing to be forgiving. You know what I mean anyway, right? See ya next time!

Kasi.


End file.
